Story byPhoto by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLCKyle DimondSun, January 11, 2026 at 5:42 PM UTC·3 min readIlia Topuria’s toughest moment in the Octagon came against a name few would have expected. Dana White recently addressed the possibility of Topuria facing the winner of the UFC 324 main event for the interim lightweight title. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe current champion at 155 pounds is on a break to deal with personal matters before returning to action. Even though ‘El Matador’ has not fought much lately, his outings have been so dominant that he has quickly built a legendary resume. Topuria has even been tipped to become a three-division champion, but his first move up in weight did not exactly go according to plan. Jai Herbert reflects on toughest fight in the UFCPhoto by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLCJai Herbert’s last outing ended in a controversial defeat, continuing a run where he has been trading wins and losses, along with a draw thrown in. The lightweight veteran has been tested plenty of times over his nine-fight UFC career, facing some serious competition along the way. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBack in 2022, Herbert nearly pulled off a result that would have made headlines everywhere. He dropped Topuria with a head kick in the first round but could not quite finish him. The Spaniard, making his debut at 155 pounds, managed to survive the early trouble and then came back to knock Herbert out in the second round. Speaking on The Pezzadox Show, Herbert was asked about the toughest fighters he has gone up against during his career. He mentioned Turkish fighter Erdi Karatas from their Cage Warriors bout in 2018 before naming Francisco Trinaldo as his toughest opponent inside the Octagon. The Englishman recalled: “[Francisco] Trinaldo from Brazil, he was my debut in the UFC. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“I was close to finishing him. I dropped him with a good shot, I was kneeing him, cut him and that, but he was just rough, man.
